{"id":48018,"date":"2021-05-26T19:01:58","date_gmt":"2021-05-26T19:01:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/05\/26\/bus-hijacking-by-army-trainee-raises-questions-about-health-screenings\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:44:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:44:54","slug":"bus-hijacking-by-army-trainee-raises-questions-about-health-screenings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2021\/05\/26\/bus-hijacking-by-army-trainee-raises-questions-about-health-screenings\/","title":{"rendered":"Bus hijacking by Army trainee raises questions about health screenings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the days after Army trainee Jovan Collazo<\/a> allegedly fled his Fort Jackson basic training unit<\/a> and used an unloaded M4 carbine to hijack a school bus in South Carolina, his attorney has indicated his mental health may have played a factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Army recruiters with whom Army Times spoke say it\u2019s not outside of the realm of possibility that Collazo slipped through a medical screening system that operates primarily on the honor of recruiters and their applicants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collazo wasn\u2019t thinking \u201cclearly and normally,\u201d Fielding Pringle, the trainee\u2019s defense attorney, told South Carolina\u2019s The State newspaper<\/a> Thursday after he allegedly tried to escape from jail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collazo was naked, handcuffed and on suicide watch at the time of the purported escape attempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese are obviously not the actions of an individual who was thinking clearly or rationally with an intent to escape,\u201d said Pringle in a statement provided to local media<\/a>. \u201cThese are the actions of a very troubled young man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After commandeering the school bus, Collazo told the driver he didn\u2019t want to hurt anyone and that he wanted to be taken to the next town, Army Times previously reported<\/a>. He eventually let the children and bus driver out before driving away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few miles later, Collazo abandoned the rifle and the bus to search for clothes in a nearby neighborhood. Police then found him and he was arrested without incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No recorded issues<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials from Army Recruiting Command say they were not aware of any potential mental health issues at the time of Collazo\u2019s enlistment, and a subsequent review of his file hasn\u2019t revealed anything new, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen Jovan Collazo enlisted, he had no criminal or personal health records, or other indicators that he wasn\u2019t fully qualified,\u201d said Lisa Ferguson, a command spokesperson, in an email to Army Times. \u201cIn order to enlist, every applicant follows current accessions guidelines implemented by Headquarters Department of the Army.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, Collazo\u2019s alleged attempt to desert via hijacking in only his third week of training has raised questions about the effectiveness of the current safeguards in place to screen applicants for Army service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
This image released by the Richland County, S.C., Sheriff\u2019s Department, shows Jovan Collazo, an Army trainee, who was arrested and charged with dozens of crimes after authorities say he boarded a South Carolina school bus with a gun Thursday, May 6, 2021, and held the driver and elementary students hostage before letting them off the bus. (Richland County Sheriff\u2019s Department via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ferguson said that applicants have \u201cmultiple interviews at every stage\u201d and that they are \u201cadvised throughout the process that they must answer truthfully and their signature on that paperwork is their affirmation of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any recruit who \u201cwho lies or deliberately conceals information at any point in the application process,\u201d could be prosecuted for fraudulent enlistment<\/a>, Ferguson explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as two experienced Army recruiters explained to Army Times, the current honor system could enable cunning applicants or unscrupulous recruiters to help problematic candidates slip through the cracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fraudulent enlistments frequently aren\u2019t uncovered and investigated until something goes wrong<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No time to check \u201950 doctors\u2019 offices\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Army Times spoke with a pair of senior recruiters who each have been in the job for more than a decade. One has been assigned to Army Recruiting Command for thirteen years. The other has been recruiting for eleven years and also has experience as a drill sergeant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both recruiters requested anonymity in order to speak candidly about their experiences navigating the medical reporting system and how it can allow some unqualified applicants to ship to basic training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had kids come into the office and never [say] a word to us about what was wrong with them or anything,\u201d said the more senior recruiter. \u201cAnd they got to basic training and snapped\u2026I have seen that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t